St Mary's Church, Dorchester facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church |
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St Mary's Church
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Church of England |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Dorchester, Dorset, England |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Charles Ponting |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Completed | 1912 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 750 |
| Materials | Purbeck Marble |
St Mary's Church, also known as St Mary the Virgin, is a Church of England church. You can find it in Fordington, which is part of Dorchester, Dorset, England. This church was built between 1910 and 1912. It cost about £11,500 to build.
St Mary's Church is a very important building. In 1975, it became a "Grade II* listed" building. This means it's a special historic place that needs to be protected. Its gate piers are also listed as "Grade II". Experts say St Mary's is a "large and lavish" church with a "high quality finish". The architect, Charles Ponting, designed this beautiful building.
The church is mostly built using a stone called Purbeck Marble. Some parts, like window frames, use Bath stone. It was designed to hold up to 750 people inside.
History of St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church was built from 1910 to 1912. It replaced an older, temporary church. That first church was made of wood and corrugated iron. People called it the "Tin Tabernacle." It was put up in 1896–97 to serve the area of West Fordington. At that time, more and more people were moving to Dorchester and its nearby areas.
Planning the New Church
People started raising money for a permanent church in 1901. The architect, Charles Ponting, drew the plans in 1907. However, there were some disagreements about where to build the new church. The people of West Fordington and their vicar had different ideas from the Bishop of Salisbury, John Wordsworth.
Bishop Wordsworth thought the new church should be built further south. He did not want it at the same spot as the Tin Tabernacle. After some discussions and changes to the church area boundaries, everyone agreed in 1909. A kind person named Mr. J. Foot donated a new piece of land for the church. He gave it in memory of his father.
Building and Opening the Church
On April 21, 1910, a special ceremony took place. Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of Shaftesbury, laid the foundation stone for St Mary's. This was the start of the building work. Two years later, on July 11, 1912, the church was officially opened and blessed. This blessing is called "consecration."
In 1929, St Mary's Church became the main church for the West Fordington area. It took over this role from another church called Christ Church.
